Dear Editor,
I have read some comments about the subvention for Critchlow Labour College (CLC), which has been withheld by operatives of the Government of Guyana (GOG), apparently in an effort to punish the TUC for its failure to have trade union unity in the face of machinations from other actors in the industrial relations arena. I wish to add some comments and views.
It seems to me that for reasons best known to a select few, a concerted plan is evolving that is in place to marginalise a large section of the Guyanese employed poor. If not, why then have so many issues affecting the well-being of these workers been instituted by the GOG? Issues like the sending home of hundreds from the Guyana Defence Force; the refusal to bargain collectively and in good faith; the imposition of wage and pension increases less than the rate of inflation; the dishonouring of past well fought agreements, the agency shop and travelling allowance agreements come quickly to mind.
But it seems to me that these pale into significance when the implications of the withholding of the subvention is taken to its logical conclusion for the workers and the nation as a whole. I think that the trade union leaders, from whichever camp or union should be made aware of the whole picture and add their individual and collective voices to right this wrong.
I, as a young worker in the sixties, came to Georgetown from the Essequibo Coast, where at that time we had no high nor community school. Ipso facto, I had not attended secondary school and was the product of the primary education system. I became involved in the trade union movement and followed my own union’s (GPTWU) call to be prepared for ‘Guyanisa-tion’ and ‘closure of the post office’, by late study, as did several of my colleagues. The result of this is that even today officers of the then Post Office Department are in all sectors of the Guyanese (and other) economy.
During this period, the American Labour Movement was actively involved in developing the capacity of the workers in Guyana, and Tucville, Lamaha Gardens (PSU), D. Endraght (GPTWU), and other schemes came on stream to house the working class. The GOG also began its self-help housing programme.
In the area of training, the Americans developed the Guyana Industrial Training Centre (GITC) and the Critchlow Labour College; they are in the same area. It is a fact that several local business firms contributed significantly to having these institutions established.
Ordinary workers with little formal education, and late starters then had two other places to be trained. GITC, headed then by an American, focused on skills training minus the academic input of the technical institute, and turned out several dozen artisans. CLC also then headed by an American, focused on their trade union education programmes. Later with the new principal, Guyanese Oscar Johnson, CLC started a more academic programme for workers.
I am more than aware that businesses, corporations, government departments and in fact all aspects of Guyanese life have benefited from graduates of CLC and GITC. The previous government was well aware of this, and that was part of the reason that assistance was given to fund the programmes and I recall that at one time CLC was a part of the Ministry of Education.
We also had several educators whether from Adult Education, Distance Learning, UG or some private education programmes lending support as part-time lecturers – some unpaid – to the development of CLC and the students. I myself was by then also part of the lecture team both at CLC and the TUC education programme, which focused more on out-of-town seminars.
Given all of that it seems hypocritical for any government, whether working class or not, to say that the taxpayer dollars will only be disbursed when trade union unity is accomplished; a requirement that was never part of the establishment of the institution (s), and which should have no logical part of that decision. I daresay that I would challenge the GOG to indicate to the Guyanese people which trade union leader has agreed with it to so withhold these funds, and let the leader say why!
And further, I would wish that the respective trade union groups and the employer group should also let the Guyanese worker know where they stand on this vital issue.
Yours faithfully,
LA Camacho